Notes

I recently graduated from UNC-Asheville with my Bachelors in Political Science, and my main feat from my time there has to be my capstone thesis that I worked on this past Fall 2021 semester. My work is entitled "The Great Resignation and COVID-19: An Evaluation of Capitalism." I started working in restaurants when I was 15, and that has been the main sector of the labor force that I've found myself in. I was working when COVID first hit and I saw this assignment as an opportunity to critically analyze the situation I saw developing regarding workers leaving their industries, and the sentiments I felt were changing among the general masses regarding labor as a concept overall. In my paper I worked to dispel myths about 'labor shortages' among public officials and economists, as well as interviewed various restaurant workers about their working conditions and attitudes given the COVID-19 crisis. Overall, I saw a rise in solidarity among workers, and found that, while my initial hypothesis of a rising class consciousness had not become fully-fledged (in Western North Carolina at least), an awareness of class as a common unifier was indeed emerging. I was aware of and fighting against the inherent inequities I noticed about the food service industry from the moment I got my first job, but when COVID-19 hit the United States it seemed as though all workers in every industry started to really examine their personal situations. It has been during this period of international turmoil that I believe a budding class consciousness has begun to further develop in this nation, and we are at a point where in my opinion it is now workers, and not their employers or corporations at large, that are gaining the upper hand in demanding radical change. When I look at the working force now, I see a distinct solidarity that I believe can lead to plenty of great change in these coming months, given that there is a fight and fire to move forward.

Power in numbers is a phrase that I believe is more critical now than ever; I have personally seen what happens when, as a collective of workers, you decide that you are tired of the exploitation and the suffering that has been naturally thrust upon you. There is the popular motto in the food service industry that "the customer is always right" or always comes first, but there can be no customer without there being workers first. Therefore, I hold that it is the worker that is the most important individual. It must also be pointed out that those who oppress others will not simply bow down to a simple ask; it is the ill treatment of the worker that enables the employer to even be able to gain profit and hold the upper hand in the power dynamic between the two. To me, striking is one of the most effective ways to remind an organization or employer just where the power lies. There is no need for radical demonstrations when individuals are treated kindly, fairly, and humanely; through these demonstrations, employers are shown that the ball is in their court to either change the working conditions of those they employ, or lose their employees completely. There is no business that should operate if they do not have the resources or wherewithal to provide individuals with a livable wage, healthcare coverage, sick leave, and an open and honest line of communication between management and workers, among a number of other things. Organizing to make this truth a reality is vital.

I come from a lower class immigrant Latinx family; that in itself has prepared me to see, and to feel, the injustices that occur everyday in this world. To observe and digest just how many inequities are built into systems at large in this country. We have always been workers, thus we have always felt the strain of these conditions. We have been under-paid, over-worked, and had resources not be available to us because of some facet of our identity. Simply existing and being one of the many people that are constantly getting the short end of the stick has fueled me with the energy to fight to create a world where this amount of suffering is not necessary, because it just can't be. I've felt this all my life, but having the opportunity to be the first in my family to attend an undergraduate university allowed me to gain the knowledge that has granted me entrance to spaces where our voice will finally be granted some semblance of attention, that were not at my disposal before attending a PWI. I feel as though I am prepared to put in the effort to do this kind of work because my education and personal experiences these past few years have given me an optimism for a completely radical future that I haven't been able to shake, and in this day and age I definitely think that means something. It is so easy to feel disheartened when doing or even discussing this type of work in my opinion because these are big issues we are tackling with very limited power. However, I have seen too many people hold no hope for the future, who have become complacent with their position in society because it is all they know. This to me is the greatest injustice. I am prepared to do this work because I hold tremendous hope and vigor for change, it is not reform I seek but a complete restructuring of society and systems at large, and I believe that this thought should be spread. It is only when people believe there is no other way of life but their unjust reality that the path to radical freeing change becomes hidden.

After educating myself a bit more about NC Raise Up I suppose the only thing I would want to share is that I don't think I've ever done work in this large of a scale. The majority of the work I do now involves small mutual aid organizations in Western NC, and even that is localized to just the Asheville area. The most prominent work I am doing now involves houselessness in the area where we work to provide individuals with access to resources like food and shelter, while also collectively analyzing the housing crisis that has directly been empowered by the tourism industry (and I guess capitalism more generally) here. While I hold a passion for helping individuals, I am also an individual that needs help, and given that I didn't see any mention of health benefits included in the details for this position I ask for patience and guidance as I myself also work to survive and thrive throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I would also like to share that, while I understand there is probably great competition for these positions, I stand by my passion to do this type of work. Even if I am not chosen for this program I would be very interested in receiving information about other organizations or resources regarding empowering the working class! Thank you all :)